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Started populating the preamp side of the eyelet board. I have only done half of this section. I find that it is easier to do a couple components and solder them; then move to the next. As I am right handed this gradual process makes it easier than trying to get the soldering iron in between components. So here are three pictures. The first is the large preamp capacitors and the second shows a couple of smaller capcitors and the two 22k resistors.

I had to stop here because the next steps required two 2k7 resistors, but my kit did not have any. I noticed that that the layout diagram shows a total of three 2k7 resistors in the preamp section. My kit did not have any 2k7's but did have three extra 220k resistors. I have sent a message to Stephen asking if the 220k's in my kit are new substitutes for the 2k7 resistors. I show a picture below of the three 220k's (red-red-yellow). I am waiting for directions before proceeding. Good to go slow.

So while I had the time today, I went on and populated the rest of the preamp side of the eyelet board except for the three 2k7 resistors. I also soldered the shielded cable and put a red heat shrink around the shielded mesh so as to avoid any possibility of it touching here; only on the jack side of this cable should the ground shield be attached.

While I am waiting on what to do about the three 2k7 resistors, my next steps will be to place the Mosfet VRM in place, and then start wiring the input jack and the potentiometers. The manual suggests that it is easier to wire these (jack and pots) with them temporarily removed from the chassis. Getting excited about nearing the finish. What a fun project. Can't wait to hear what it sounds like.

Don't sub the 220k. We'll get the right parts to you

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Excellent! I am glad I waited; I figured it was just a mistake. That is what is so neat about this forum and this experience--you get help along the way. I will just work on the other parts of the build for now. Thanks.

Cecelius2

Hoping they got to you by now and you're on your way again.

_________________
Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Thanks. I will be on the lookout for it. I got busy with holiday things and have not worked on the Tramp any further. I am sure the arrival of the three little resistors will get me building my Tramp again. I have not been in a rush and am glad to have this forum to help guide me along the build so I will do it correctly.

I still have not received the three replacement resistors. So I just ordered three from TubeDepot along with a couple of EL34's to try out when my Tramp is finished. Will post pictures when work on the Tramp resumes, once the resistors arrive.

Christmas postal service I guess.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Yeah. We have just received a Christmas package from a family member sent over almost 3 weeks ago within the USA. I am not complaining. The ordering of the new resistors was only $0.45--so I am not concerned about the cost. It is just the postal deliveries this time of the year. At least this got me to focus on some EL34s. I bought three altogether: EH EL34, Tung-Sol EL34b, and a JJ KT77). So once I get the Tramp finished I have these, the 6V6, a bunch of 6L6's, and a KT88 to try out and figure which one to use, and when to use others.

Hurray! My three 2k7 resistors arrived today (along with the three EL34 type tubes). I immediately soldered them in their places on the eyelet board. Here are two pictures: first picture is the three little culprits; second is them on the board. I hope to finally finish this project this weekend. More updates to come.

Might want to reflow the two joints on the bottom right hand side of the board.

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http://pdfelectronics.com

Thanks. I will definitely redo those. Appreciate the advice.

Resoldered the two lower right eyelets and made sure it had a good flow. I also took my etching tool [edited to add a pic below]and made sure that the two do not touch. Thanks and please do give input and advice; I want to get it done right.

This afternoon I made a little "jig" for the pots. The manual suggested it might be easier to remove the pots from the chassis for wiring. So I cut a little piece of cardboard to match the chassis (minus the power pot) to make sure that the wires are the correct lenght. Then I wired the pots and input jack with the ground wires and connecting wires from pot to pot, but have not connented the flying leads to and from the eyelet board yet.

[[Edit: Removed a sentence about a wrong wattage resistor because the 22k resistor is just a different kind of 1 watt--my mistake]]. The body (not the wire) of this slightly larger in diameter [22l] resister almost touches the rear post for the 220k one watt resistor found on the same pot. As long as the wires do not touch, is this okay to have the body of the resistor touch this rear post? I could put a piece of insulation to separate them if needed.

Next will be to connect the flying leads from the eyelet board to the pots on this cutout.

Q: is this okay to have the body of the resistor touch this rear post?
A: Yes

_________________
Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Thanks for the quick reply.

With this assurance, I went on and connected the flying leads from the eyelet board to the pots on the temporary cardboard jig. Below is a picture of this. Next I will install the VRM Mosfet to the chassis and attach the three short leads to it (following the way that Snowy did with the VRM Mosfet).

Just installed the VRM Mosfet with the three short leads. I grounded myself first by touching a water pipe (several times). The placing the isolation pad and the Mosfet onto the chassis is easy enough (repeatedly grounding myself); however, the attaching the three leads was somewhat difficult for my shaking hands. This was one time when I needed three hands: one for the wire, one for the solder, one for the soldering iron. If I ever do this again, I will enlist a friend to supply one hand to hold the wire while I use my two hands for the solder and the iron. Here is a picture (sorry about the bad lighting).

I got busy at it tonight and got a lot done. I took the pots off their temporary cardboard jig and put them and the attached eyelet board into the Tramp chassis. First I connected the green ground wire for the power side of the eyelet board, which runs from the star ground to the first large capacitor--this is underneath the board so it cannot be seen in any pictures, but it is done. I then started connecting the flying leads to the rear chassis components; I did this in an orderly fashion working from the left to the right. The first picture below is of the board with the connections now in the chassis.

I had a small problem with the bias switch--I ruined one of the posts trying to get the wires into the little, bitty small holes. So I bought a replacement DPDT switch. I then carefully wired it. I ended up using some of that thin red wire I mentioned earlier, which I stripped and used it as the bridges across the upper and middle posts on this switch. A picture below is provided of this switch now wired.

I also enclose a picture of the preamp tube socket now completely wired. I also show a picture of the push/pull pots now wired and in the chassis.

I then connected the two red power 630 VAC twisted lines to the eyelet board. And I connected the three small leads (Snowy's method) from the VRM Mosfet to the eyelet board. A picture below shows these connections on this end of the eyelet board.

Finally, I connected the three braided VRM wires that go from the eyelet board to the power level pot. A picture of this is also attached.

This weekend I plan to connect the preamp star ground, connect the yellow wire from the Power tube socket pin 6 to the master volume pot post 2, and connect the wire from the 22k resistor on the volume pot that goes to the 8 ohm (green) pin on the impedance rotary switch.

Today I finished installing the eyelet board in the Tramp.

First I used the four screws and four standoffs (picture below) and attached the eyelet board to the chassis. This was a two person job. My wife has smaller hands and she was able to hold the standoff in the correct place while I placed the screw and screwed it in--four times.

Then I soldered the purple wire from the 22k resistor on the volume pot to the 8 ohm (green) wire's post on the rotary impedance switch. Picture is below.

Then I soldered the yellow wire from pin 6 on the power tube socket to post 2 on the master volume pot. Picture is below.

Then I soldered the two green ground wires on the preamp side of the eyelet board to their star ground and screwed it into the chassis. Picture is below.

I next set back and breathed a sigh of releif that this part of the project is complete (I hope). I took an overhead picture of the completed chassis (picture below) and one shot down the eyelet board from the perspective of the VRM Mosfet (picture below) and could not resist one last picture from above the chassis (picture below).

Tomorrow, I will wire the speaker. Then I hope to proceed to burn it in, take voltage measurements, and hopefully avoid smoke and smells.

Looking good, not far to go now.

A little trick I used when soldering those small leads onto the Mosfet was to use a blob of Blu-Tack to hold each wire in position just how I wanted it and then I had my hands free for the solder and iron. I should have mentioned that in my build notes but I forgot.

At this point went back and re-checked everything, starting at one end of the layout and methodically working around it, marking each connection on the layout with a highlighter after confirm it visually and with test probes using the continuity function on my Multimeter.


Snowy